<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Game Over by Always1</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27661151">Game Over</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Always1/pseuds/Always1'>Always1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Akuma Possession, Gen, Max Kanté centric, The Ladyblog (Miraculous Ladybug), Video Game Mechanics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:04:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,928</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27661151</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Always1/pseuds/Always1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Max loves being a part of his school’s official video game club, EXP, even if his friends there can get a little crazy.</p><p>Who knew an innocent question could cause a four-way akumatization?</p><p>With four new villains with very different and extremely dangerous abilities, only Max knows how to take them down and save Paris from complete ruin.</p><p>Well, him and the city’s resident heroes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Which is it?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Despite what popular opinion, otherwise known as whatever Chloé Bourgeois told anyone who would listen, might have you believe, Max Kanté <i>does</i> in fact have friends apart from Markov.</p><p>Admittedly, it was a surprise to him as well, but the Collège Françoise Dupont was turning out to be the best thing to happen to his social life since the creation of online fan forums.</p><p>Kim was pretty incredible, the athlete taking him under his metaphorical wing their first day together and somehow becoming both the younger <i>and</i> older brother he’d never had.</p><p>And Kim wasn’t the only person he spoke to at school, either.</p><p>Finding out Adrien Agreste was as big a fan of <i>Ultimate Mecha Strike III</i> had been a shock, and actually losing to the blonde...</p><p>Not the best, but it sort of made sense when you considered how much of his life the son of Gabriel Agreste had spent alone in his room.</p><p>Max could be amicably jealous of more than a few of the popular boy’s qualities, but he didn’t envy him his childhood.</p><p>Marinette Dupain-Cheng had been another surprise. A bad one, at first.</p><p>He hadn’t believed it when she’d beaten him, knocking him out of his place in the tournament he’d been looking forward to all year. NOT because she was a girl (“Do you have <i>any</i> idea how many of the top gamers are girls, Kim? Of course it’s not that!”), but because it had been tough enough to stomach being the second best player in class without being kicked down to third by someone who, until then, hadn’t expressed passion for much besides fashion, baking, and sneaking pictures of Adrien on her cellphone when he wasn’t looking.</p><p>(Her interest in the competition made a lot more sense in retrospect, though that didn’t change the fact that she was incredibly gifted at his favorite multiplayer game.)</p><p>He wouldn’t say he, Adrien, and Marinette were as close as he was to Kim and Markov, but they were his friends now, too, and neither was willing to let him forget it.</p><p>If Max’s eyes had watered just a bit when their class representative presented him with a handmade MX-01 shirt for his birthday, that was clearly his allergies acting up. The school really needed to speak with their custodial staff about all the dust in the air.</p><p>(“I was not crying, Kim! Stop telling everyone that! ...When did you take a <i>picture?!</i>”)</p><p>The point was, he had friends in class.</p><p>He also had friends <i>outside</i> of his classmates.</p><p>Actual IRL, non-metallic people who appreciated his company and who shared similar interests.</p><p>And it was all thanks to an email he’d almost consigned to the trash, because he didn’t recognize the name of the sender.</p><p>Luckily for him, the subject line had saved it from oblivion and him from boring Thursday afternoons.</p><p>
  <b>Subject: LOVE VIDEO GAMES? JOIN EXP TODAY!</b>
</p><p>EXP. An acronym for experience points.</p><p>Simple, direct, and, for him at least, too tempting to resist clicking and reading more.</p><p>And it was one of the best decisions of his life.</p><p>Collège Françoise Dupont was great <i>before</i> he’d realized they had a school-sanctioned video game club that met once a week (and usually at one of their houses on Saturdays).</p><p>But after?</p><p>School after joining EXP was awesome. Crazy, but wonderful.</p><p>“Greetings, everybody!” Max walked into the computer lab, shoulders back and head high. “I hope you are ready to admit defeat, Rhodes!”</p><p>A head of wavy brown hair shot up, hazel eyes blazing at the challenge. “Not a chance, Kanté! I’m still up three rounds on you, and I’m getting that up to at least five before I let you go!”</p><p>“<i>She has a point, Max!</i>” Markov (that traitor) whirred around the room, stopping by Raina Rhodes’ shoulder with a happy purr. “<i>Miss Raina is very gifted at 1v1 games.</i>”</p><p>His life was so much easier before his friend and AI had developed some sort of crush on the older brunette.</p><p>A laugh came from the other side of the room. “He’s got you there, Kanté. You shouldn’t have challenged Rhodes to a racing game - that’s like trying to beat Arisa at one of her GTA rampages.”</p><p>“You’re just salty you’re always shot down within the first five,” Arisa murmured from her seat behind Rhodes, dark eyes glaring a hole into the side of the older boy’s head.</p><p>“It’s nice to see you again, Antoine, Arisa. Is Dexter running late?”</p><p>Antoine groaned, pushing back his obnoxiously dyed hair.</p><p>
  <i>When did he decide on neon orange? He was still pastel pink when I saw him on Monday.</i>
</p><p>“Yep, he says he’s bringing some of his favorites today.”</p><p>Rhodes rolled her eyes. “Great. Anyone bring spare batteries?”</p><p>“Nope.”</p><p>“Sorry.”</p><p>“I ran out and haven’t been able to restock,” Max sighed, trying to block out the memory of Dexter’s blasted Game Boy Advance.</p><p>He liked classic systems, he really did, but did Dexter always have to bring something that needed a power source none of them carried?</p><p>AA batteries were the bane of EXP.</p><p>As if summoned by the club’s mutual exhaustion, the fifth and final member of EXP appeared, signature purple plastic in hand.</p><p>“Hey, guys! Guess what I brought.”</p><p>“Pokémon?” Antoine asked.</p><p>“Pokémon.” Arisa replied, somehow managing to sound irritated while maintaining her usual monotone.</p><p>“I’m thinking something from Pokémon.” Max was completely certain.</p><p>“<i>Based off your usual preferences, I would say that you are carrying at least one of the Pokémon games today.</i>” Markov didn’t even bother with a percentage.</p><p>Rhodes nodded, giving Markov a quick grin. The AI’s screen turned a little pink. “It’s Pokémon. Leaf Green this time?”</p><p>“Noooooo!” Dexter smiled, pushing his Game Boy up into the air. “I finally got Emerald! I found it at a garage sale over the weekend. Can you believe they were practically giving it away?!”</p><p>“Yes.” Arisa spoke for the group, “We really can.”</p><p>“Ah, you’re so mean, Ari!” </p><p>“Do <i>not</i> call me that!”</p><p>“Guys, not the time.” Getting to her feet, Markov trailing after her like a duckling, Rhodes waked over to the wipe board at the front of the lab. “We have some important stuff to deal with before we leave, so let’s stow the fighting for later, okay?”</p><p>“Got it, Ray-Ray!”</p><p>“Whatever.”</p><p>“Good,” valiantly ignoring her new nickname, Rhodes grabbed a marker. “Now, due to Mr. Damocles deciding that all clubs sanctioned by the school need official representation, we have to pick someone to take the lead at all inter-club meetings.”</p><p>“Oh! Oh! Pick me!” Dexter’s hand shot up, shaking in excitement. “I bet I can get him to make a ROM cartridge library, like how the Manga Club has their own library!”</p><p>It was more like a single bookcase, but Max could see his point.</p><p>“Please,” Arisa scoffed, twirling a strand of black hair as she did so, “The last thing EXP needs is a shrine to your grandpa games.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>“What we <i>need</i>,” the goth continued, “is a leader who doesn’t let the other club representatives walk all over her. I can do it, Raina.”</p><p>“Uh,” Antoine cowered back a little when Arisa turned to him, but held his ground bravely, “I’m actually friends with the heads of the Fantasy and Scavenger Hunter clubs, so maybe let’s not do that to them...”</p><p>“<i>Antoine does make a good point. EXP needs to be represented by somebody who won’t scare off the other club leaders.</i>”</p><p>“What is <i>that</i> supposed to mean, you little-“</p><p>“Okay, stop!” Rhodes raised her voice, silencing the squabbling trio. “Max, you’ve been pretty quiet. Any thoughts?”</p><p>Personally, Max thought EXP already had a leader in the form of the girl who somehow managed to keep Antoine, Dexter, and Arisa in line (most of the time), but he didn’t want to shatter the tentative peace by choosing her over the others.</p><p>“I...um...”</p><p>Also, he was still too close to Arisa for comfort, and her nails looked sharper than usual today.</p><p>“Maybe we could...”</p><p>
  <i>Think, Max! Think!</i>
</p><p>“What if we played for it?!”</p><p>“Huh?” Dexter looked confused. “Play what?”</p><p>“Video games!” The more he though about it, the better it sounded. What better way to pick the new head of EXP than via the one thing they could agree on? “We’ll play a game, and the person who does the best gets to be our new representative!”</p><p>There was a pause.</p><p>“I don’t hate it.” High praise from the resident goth. </p><p>“It makes sense,” Rhodes nodded, a motion copied by the robot at her side “Who better to represent than the best player? Antoine, Dex?”</p><p>“Makes as much sense as anything.” Antoine approved.</p><p>“That sounds so FUN! Good one, Max!”</p><p>Max felt his face flush as the others smiled at him, even Arisa almost seeming friendlier for one brief second. “Thanks...”</p><p>It was a good moment, surrounded by his gamer friends, who were all in a rare moment of perfect agreement.</p><p>“So, which game should it be?”</p><p>He knew it was a mistake as soon as he said the words.</p><p>“Pokémon! Let’s BATTLE!” Dexter bounced up, eyes glowing at the thought of a Pokémon tournament.</p><p>“I think one of the Mario Kart games makes sense.” No surprise from Rhodes. Mario Kart combined her two loves: racing and a certain mustachioed plumber.</p><p>“Fallout Shelter! We can see who has the most efficient design!” <i>How would that even work, Antoine? I know the app is also playable on the switch, but still...</i></p><p>“American McGee’s Alice.” The only surprise was that Arisa didn’t pick something with considerably more violence. </p><p>“Ugh, no more Pokémon! You need a new hobby! At least try Dragon Quest!” Antoine implored. Max understood the feeling well.</p><p>“Never!”</p><p>Arisa looked over at Rhodes. “You don’t really think we’re going to agree to Mario Kart, right?”</p><p>“What’s wrong with Mario Kart?” Rhodes was still calm, but there was a gleam in her eyes Max recognized from a few of their more competitive races.</p><p>“Well, it’s pretty boring, isn’t it? There’s zero plot and nothing ever changes.”</p><p>“Excuse me?!”</p><p>“<i>She appears to be jealous of your greater skill, Miss Raina.</i>”</p><p>“Say that to my face, you over-equipped Tamagotchi!”</p><p>“I don’t think you’re giving Fallout Shelter a fair chance!” Antoine set out to defend his choice. “It’s all about design and who you assign to what. It’s a great measure of intelligence!”</p><p>Dexter snorted, “It’s barely a video game, dude. It isn’t even <i>actual</i> Fallout. Maybe stay out of the App Store until you remember what a real game’s supposed to look like.”</p><p>“Voltorb is a dumb idea for a Pokémon! Why does a poké ball need eyes?! It’s like the people behind the series just gave up!”</p><p>“You take that back!”</p><p>“The Alice games are <i>not</i> better than the Mario Kart franchise!”</p><p>“Spoken like someone who can’t beat it without using online walkthrough videos!”</p><p>“My dwellers are doing really well!”</p><p>“Your dwellers suck and so do you!”</p><p>Max watched as EXP descended into anarchy. Even Markov had gone rogue, taking up his crush’s side and spitting out facts about Mario Kart and why Arisa’s choice was inferior.</p><p>“Guys!” He tried, but no one noticed over their arguments.</p><p>Dexter vs Antoine and Rhodes vs Arisa had fused into one mega fight about whose game reigned supreme.</p><p>“Rhodes!” For one, bright, beautiful moment, Rhodes stopped arguing, turning to him. He knew he could count on the most reasonable-</p><p>“And don’t get me started on Peach! Does she like always getting kidnapped or something?!”</p><p>
  <i>Arisa, why?!</i>
</p><p>Snarling, the brunette once more vanished into the fight.</p><p>“We’re playing Mario Kart!” Rhodes wrote the name on the wipe board with quick, angry strokes.</p><p>“No, American McGee!” Arisa grabbed the marker, writing ALICE in cursive.</p><p>“Fallout Shelter!”</p><p>“Pokémon! It has the most variety!”</p><p>“Every Pokémon game is exactly the same!”</p><p>“Everyone, stop!” Max managed to make himself hear this time, but it didn’t stop the battle over the wipe board.</p><p>“Not until she apologizes!”</p><p>“What she said! But....with a he!”</p><p>
  <i>God, how did one question lead to this?</i>
</p><p>“Calm down! You don’t want-“</p><p>From the corner of his eyes, Max caught a flicker of black and purple.</p><p>An Akuma. Their fighting had summoned an Akuma!</p><p>“Guys, looks out!”</p><p>He started towards the board, but the butterfly was quicker, sinking into the smooth white material.</p><p>Max could see those distinctive purple marks appearing on his friends’ faces.</p><p>
  <i>What have I done?!</i>
</p><p>
  <b>“Four of you at once? My, how a simple disagreement can ignite into war.”</b>
</p><p>“Rhodes, Dexter, everyone! Please, don’t listen to him!”</p><p>
  <b>“You want to know who is the top gamer of the group, but each of you has a different game in mind? I have a way to settle the debate once and for all.”</b>
</p><p>“<i>Max! We need to get leave before they transform!</i>” </p><p>“I’m not leaving them to Hawk Moth!”</p><p>“<i>We cannot stop four akumatized villains on our own! I do not want to leave Miss Raina either, but we need to get help!</i>”</p><p>Help...they needed help.</p><p>Ladybug!</p><p>“Markov, we need to find Alya!”</p><p>With once last glance at his friends, Max ran.</p><p>
  <i>I’ll come back with Ladybug and Chat Noir. Rhodes, Dexter, Antoine, Arisa...I’m not going to let him use you!</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Wait for me.</i>
</p><p>
  <b>“Overseer, Malice, Pokédexter and Rainbow Rhodes, I am Hawk Moth. I can give you the power to bring your favorite games to life and see whose is best, but I require two very special items in the form of Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous. Beat the bosses and claim your prize!”</b>
</p><p>“Yes, Hawk Moth.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Player 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Max loses a teammate, a friend, and officially begins recruiting for his party.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Max ran as fast as he could, Markov latching onto his arm to keep them together.</p><p>Alya.</p><p>He needed to find Alya.</p><p>And he had no idea <i>where</i> to find Alya.</p><p>Did she even stay after school?</p><p>Not for the first time regretting that he’d put off getting the contact information of the owner, creator and head reporter of the Ladyblog, he kept moving.</p><p>He didn’t have Alya’s number, so who could he find who might still be around the school who would have it?</p><p>
  <i>Marinette! She’s staying late to help plan the end of year trip!</i>
</p><p>Find Marinette and he’d have a way to call Alya, who would have a way to alert Ladybug.</p><p>
  <b>[QUEST UNLOCKED: FIND MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG.]</b>
</p><p>“What the- ack!” Tripping over his own feet at the sudden announcement, he hit the ground. Hard.</p><p>“Ow...”</p><p>“<i>Max, what was that?</i>” Markov looked around, perplexed.</p><p>“You heard it, too?” So he wasn’t hearing things. Or, he was hearing things, but the way anyone else would. Good to know.</p><p>
  <b>[MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG IS BEST FRIENDS WITH ALYA CÉSAIRE. LOCATE HER WITHIN THE SCHOOL TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE LADYBLOG.]</b>
</p><p>“Is that...were we just offered a <i>quest</i>?”</p><p>What kind of villains had EXP become that Max was having his plans <i>narrated?!</i></p><p>“<i>It would appear so. This is a noticeably different form of akumatization from what I have records of.</i>”</p><p>Max nodded, getting back to his feet. “Well, at least we know Marinette is our key to the Ladyblog. Now all we need to do is find her.”</p><p>Where would she be? Not the classroom. It wasn’t the most comfortable for any sort of work that needed space.</p><p>If he was Marinette, he’d take things either to the library or to the school’s philosophy class, which had seats spaces out along a large table.</p><p>The library was on the first floor and the philosophy room was on the third.</p><p>There were four new villains in the school, unless they’d already escaped.</p><p>He didn’t have time to check both.</p><p>
  <i>Oh, I really don’t want to do this now!</i>
</p><p>They had to split up.</p><p>“Markov, you go to the philosophy room and I can check the library. Whoever finds Marinette needs to get in contact with Alya!”</p><p>The AI gave a distressed beep. “<i>But Max-</i>”</p><p>“We don’t have time to look together! EXP’s probably already in their new forms! One of us needs to get to Marinette!”</p><p>After a tense second, Markov raised and lowered his claw attachment in an approximation of a nod.</p><p>“<i>Stay safe, Max.</i>”</p><p>“You too, buddy.”</p><p>Without another word, Markov set off for the stairs.</p><p>
  <b>[MARKOV HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM TEAM: GAMER.]</b>
</p><p>“Gamer?!” <i>My party’s named after my villain side?! That’s not fair!</i></p><p>Setting off in the direction of the library, Max couldn’t help himself. “Um, change team name!”</p><p>
  <b>[WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE THE NAME OF TEAM: GAMER?]</b>
</p><p>“Yes!”</p><p>
  <i>I can’t believe that worked! This is so coo- wait, villains. Not cool!</i>
</p><p>
  <b>[PLEASE PROVIDE NEW TEAM NAME.]</b>
</p><p>Max honestly hadn’t thought that far ahead. Scrambling he shouted the first thing he could think of. “LADYBUG!”</p><p>
  <b>[THE NAME TEAM: LADYBUG IS UNAVAILABLE. PLEASE PROVIDE NEW TEAM NAME.]</b>
</p><p>“How is that unavailable?!”</p><p>The voice didn’t answer.</p><p>“Team Chat Noir?”</p><p>
  <b>[THE NAME TEAM: CHAT NOIR IS UNAVAILABLE. PLEASE PROVIDE NEW TEAM NAME.]</b>
</p><p>
  <i>Come on!</i>
</p><p>“Team Max!” If the voice said his name was unavailable...</p><p>
  <b>[THE NAME TEAM: MAX IS TOO SHORT. PLEASE PROVIDE NEW TEAM NAME.]</b>
</p><p>It wasn’t even worth it at this point. “Cancel.”</p><p>
  <b>[TEAM NAME SET AS TEAM: GAMER!]</b>
</p><p>As the library doors came into view, Max let himself breathe. <i>Please be here!</i></p><p>He pushed the door open.</p><p>The school’s library was large, but he could remember where the <i>good</i> study spaces were. </p><p>Rushing between the history and historical fiction shelves, Max saw a familiar set of blue-black pigtails.</p><p>“Marinette!”</p><p>“Max?” Head shooting up at the sound of his voice, the fashionista swung around, one hand pushing her opened purse behind her back.</p><p>Stopping in front of her, Max struggled to find his voice. A distance runner he was <i>not.</i></p><p>“Mari...nette. Need...help...Alya.”</p><p>“What’s wrong with Alya?!”</p><p>Okay, maybe he wasn’t being clear. <i>Lets try that again.</i></p><p>“Need...phone Alya...Villains! Hawk Moth...akumatized EXP!”</p><p>“Wait,” Marinette stood up, eyes wide. “EXP? Your gaming club? You mean he akumatized one of them, right?”</p><p>“All...four. Need Ladyblog. Get Ladybug here!”</p><p>Scrambling for her pockets, Marinette took out her cellphone, thrusting it into Max’s hand. “She’s speed dial number three!”</p><p>
  <b>[QUEST COMPLETED: FIND MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG. REWARD: MARINETTE’S CELLPHONE!]</b>
</p><p>The girl’s head snapped back at the announcement, trying to see where the narration had come from. “Max, what was that!?”</p><p>Already pressing #3 on Marinette’s phone, Max took a second to brief her on the situation. “They were fighting about video games.”</p><p>The phone rang.</p><p>Once. </p><p>Twice.</p><p>
  <i>”Hey, girl! You done already?”</i>
</p><p>“Alya, it’s Max! I need your help!”</p><p><i>”Max?</i> Alya’s tone changed in an instant. <i>”What’s wrong? Is Marinette okay?!”</i></p><p>“She’s fine, but I need your help! The members of my game club were akumatized - all FOUR of them at once! I need you to get on the Ladyblog so Ladybug and Chat Noir know what’s happening!”</p><p>Reception wasn’t great in the library, but he could hear the reporter’s gasp lout and clear. </p><p>
  <i>”FOUR?! How did four people get akumatized at once?!”</i>
</p><p>He didn’t actually want to answer that one, so he avoided the how and skipped to the what.</p><p>“They were all touching the same thing when the Akuma hit. Look, I need you to alert Ladybug before they get ou-“</p><p>
  <i>BANG!</i>
</p><p>The light fixtures shook as the sound of something very solid being torn through echoed through the room.</p><p>
  <i>”What was that?! Max? ...Max, what’s happening over there?!”</i>
</p><p>Running to the window, Max caught sight of the gaping hole that used to be the east wing’s courtyard facing wall.</p><p>“They’re out. Alya...get on the Ladyblog. There are four new villains loose in the city, and I’m pretty sure they’re having a competition.”</p><p><i>”Hang tight, Max. Help is on its way! You and Marinette keep safe until Ladybug can get there.”</i> With a beep, the phone disconnected.</p><p>
  <b>[NEW OBJECTIVE: CHOOSE YOUR TEAM.]</b>
</p><p>
  <b>[A HUMAN BOY CAN’T FIGHT FOUR AKUMATIZED VILLAINS ON HIS OWN! CHOOSE UP TO 3 ADDITIONAL PLAYERS AND BEGIN THE HUNT FOR THE VILLAINS BEFORE THEY DESTROY PARIS.]</b>
</p><p>“Well, it looks like we are on the right path, Marinette.”</p><p>...</p><p>“Marinette?”</p><p>Looking around, Max couldn’t see his female friend. </p><p>“Marinette! Marinette, where are you?”</p><p>
  <i>Where is she?! I only let her out of my sight for a few minutes! Did one of them get her?!</i>
</p><p>“Marinette!”</p><p>“Max Kanté! You were looking for me?”</p><p>Blinking, Max gaped as the city’s spotter superhero emerged from between the shelves, red and black earrings gleaming under the fluorescent lights.</p><p>“Ladybug! I’m so glad you’re here! My club-mates were akumatized and my friend Marinette’s missing! Please help!”</p><p>“I, uh, of course, Citizen!” It was weird, but part of Max thought it almost looked like Ladybug was nervous. “Chat Noir and I will take down the Akuma and, um, I promise to look for your friend personally!”</p><p>“Thank you, Ladybug!”</p><p>“Now, about those villains...you said there are <i>four</i>? What do they look like and what are their powers?”</p><p>That...might be a problem.</p><p>“Well, I sort of...left before they transformed, so I don’t know what they turned into.”</p><p>The young woman (really, despite Alya’s theory that the heroine had been around since Ancient Egypt, Max had a hard time believing that Ladybug was over twenty) narrowed her eyes, putting on an expression of deep thought.</p><p>“If you didn’t see them, then what <i>exactly</i> was going on before the Akuma appeared? Hawk Moth’s villains are usually closely related to whatever was upsetting them before they were akumatized.”</p><p>“They were arguing about which video game was the best way to prove who the best gamer is...”</p><p>American McGee’s Alice.</p><p>Pokémon.</p><p>Mario Kart.</p><p>Fallout Shelter.</p><p>“Ladybug...if they were each arguing for a different game...”</p><p>“Then we may have four villains, each with powers inspired by their game of choice.” She finished, face paling a little at the idea.</p><p>Max didn’t blame her for that reaction at all.</p><p>“I...I’m really only familiar with a handful of games myself.” The hero admitted, “I could use whatever information you have on their favorites, before I-“</p><p>“We.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I-I know I’m not a hero like you, but those are my friends, and...and I promised I’d come back for them!”</p><p>Ladybug shook her head, pigtails flying. The motion was eerily familiar. Who did she remind him of? Rose? “No, Max! It’s not safe!”</p><p>“You don’t know their games and what they might be able to do. I’m not planning to run into danger, but I think you need my help to beat them and...I think you’re supposed to be part of my team?”</p><p>
  <b>[LADYBUG HAS BEEN ADDED TO TEAM: GAMER!]</b>
</p><p>
“Hey, I didn’t agree-!”
</p><p>
  <b>[TEAM: GAMER HAS 2/4 PLAYERS. NEW QUEST UNLOCKED.]</b>
</p><p>
  <b>[NEW QUEST: LOCATE THE FIRST MEMBER OF EXP.]</b>
</p><p>
  <b>[FOUR VILLAINS ARE RUNNING LOOSE IN THE CITY OF LOVE. A LITTLE RABBIT TOLD ME ONE IS GETTING READY FOR A TEA PARTY IN THE PARK. YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE LATE.]</b>
</p><p>“A rabbit? What does that even mean?”</p><p>“It means we’re going after Arisa.” Arisa, who preferred her games with a splash of blood. “Do you think your costume can hold up to a giant kitchen knife?”</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>“Come on! We need to find our Alice!”</p><p>
  <b>[LOADING MAP. DESTINATION: MALICE’S TEA PARTY.]</b>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Crashing the Party</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Max and Ladybug meet the first member of EXP.</p><p>Arisa always was the scary one.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>[ARRIVED: MALICE’S TEA PARTY]</b>
</p><p>Max shook his head, blinking away the last of the black spots obscuring his vision as the park came into focus.</p><p>Well, maybe not <i>quite</i> the park.</p><p>
  <i>Guess we were right about their powers.</i>
</p><p>Beside him, Ladybug looked around in shock.</p><p>“What...what did she <i>do</i>?”</p><p>The park, or wherever they’d been taken, was different in a way that couldn’t be natural.</p><p>The grass was dead, a dry brown-green crunching under their feet, and the sky was a sort of coral red. Cloudless and with no visible sun.</p><p>The fountains were gone, and he couldn’t see the buildings he knew were supposed to be off to the sides.</p><p>There were a few trees, but Max couldn’t be sure they were either living or actual plant life. They were taller, with thin, almost angular looking trunks, bare branches shot out of the tops, arching and angled, without a hint of smoothness.</p><p>Turning to his right, Max saw a singular path of cracked stone leading deeper into the park.</p><p>It was, without a doubt, the most disturbing place he’d ever been.</p><p>Arisa would’ve been proud. He was sure her villain self would be.</p><p>“Looks like she decided to play around with the color palette. I don’t recognize any of this from the Alice games, but it fits.”</p><p>Recovering from her surprise, Ladybug straightened up, voice more direct as she addressed him. “You said something about Alice? I don’t remember this from the movies.”</p><p>
  <i>Okay, one more reason to be glad Arisa isn’t here yet.</i>
</p><p>“That’s not - no, the game series Arisa picked is called <i>American McGee’s Alice.</i> It has nothing to do with the Disney movie. It is more action-drama, with a lot of horror and violence. It all starts with Alice waking up to a fire, and it doesn’t get happier from there.”</p><p>“So what should I expect?”</p><p>That was a good question.</p><p>“It’s hard to say. The villain, Malice, is going to be based off the games, but just like the park hasn’t changed into a direct equivalent to the series, it’s likely that Malice will not be the exact same as Alice. Alice in the games has access to multiple unique items and abilities, though I think she is best known for her kitchen knife, which is why I asked about your suit earlier.”</p><p>The two began to move, stepping into the path as they spoke. Max could feel the shards of stone poking into the soles of his shoes.</p><p>“My costume’s magic, so it’s pretty hard to tear, but I haven’t really gone out of my way to test it against direct attacks,” Ladybug stepped carefully over a dark red <i>something</i> as they walked. “Chat is usually the one who prefers close combat attacks.”</p><p>Speaking of her partner...</p><p>“Where is Chat Noir?” The leather-clad hero usually wasn’t far behind his ‘Lady’ in a fight.</p><p>“I don’t really know,” the dark haired woman murmured, pulling out her yoyo. “I left him a quick message before I found you in the library, so he’s hopefully on his way.”</p><p>Hopefully, meaning he might not. Fantastic.</p><p>They kept walking. Max filled her in on the general plot and gameplay as much as he could. Honestly, he hadn’t spent much time with the Alice series. Fighting games were fun, but Arisa’s picks were just depressing.</p><p>He wasn’t sure how long they’d been on the path (everything looked the same after at <i>least</i> twenty minutes of travel) when something appeared in the distance.</p><p>
  <i>What is that?</i>
</p><p>Ladybug’s blue eyes narrowed as she struggled to see, but it wasn’t long before the scene came into view.</p><p>“Mon Dieu.”</p><p>They had arrived to the tea party, and there was no doubt that Ari- that Malice was taking her role to heart. The squirming bodies, hooded by thick burlap and tied to the chairs were sort of a giveaway.</p><p>Running forward, Ladybug reached out for the hostage closest to her.</p><p>
  <i>Foomp</i>
</p><p>And promptly ricocheted back, barely managing to save herself from toppling into the grass.</p><p>“Wha- why can’t I-“</p><p>
  <b>[NEW OBJECTIVE: SAVE 5/5 GUESTS FROM MALICE’S TEA PARTY.]</b>
</p><p>
  <b>[THIS ISN’T WONDERLAND, AND MALICE LIKES TO ADD SOMETHING WITH A BIT MORE FLAVOR THAN CREAM OR SUGAR TO HER TEA. DEFEAT MALICE AND RESCUE THE CIVILIANS BEFORE MORE THAN THE SKY TURNS RED.]</b>
</p><p>“She’s going to - since when does Hawk Moth make cannibals?!”</p><p>“What about Kung Food? He wanted to cook Chloé.”</p><p>
  <b>[QUEST COMPLETED: LOCATE THE FIRST MEMBER OF EXP. REWARD: APRON.]</b>
</p><p>“Wait, what?”</p><p>“I don’t- hey!” Max yelped, jumping back as something tightened around his waist. Looking down, he stared in horror at the frilly, white apron he’d supposedly gained as a reward.</p><p>He didn’t need to turn his head to be sure it was knotted into a large bow at his back. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he could’ve sworn he saw Ladybug’s lips twitch as she looked him over.</p><p>“Why would the game think I would like this?!”</p><p>
  <b>[ITEM: APRON PROVIDES +5 PROTECTION FROM STABBING AND SLASHING ATTACKS.]</b>
</p><p>
  <b>[ITEMS REMOVED FROM YOUR PERSON CANNOT BE RECLAIMED. REMOVE APRON?]</b>
</p><p>“N-no!”</p><p>Certain things were more important than pride. Not being stabbed to death because his club-mate turned cannibalistic supervillain wanted to paint the metaphorical roses red was one of them.</p><p>The hostages at the table, a large, wrought iron monstrosity laden with a large tea set and cakes that looked like they’d seen better days, didn’t seem to have noticed that help had arrived. </p><p>Stepping in front of Ladybug, Max pressed one palm forward carefully.</p><p>
  <i>Foomp</i>
</p><p>“It appears to be some kind of force field. I don’t think we can get through until we beat Malice.”</p><p>Ladybug winced as one of the hooded figures wiggled in their chair, a muffled scream echoing through the park.</p><p>“Then where is she?” Max could understand her impatience. Waiting like this-</p><p>Wait.</p><p>“Ladybug, the Apron is a reward for finding a member of EXP. That I have it...means she needed to have been here already.”</p><p>As if summoned by the observation, an English accented monotone cut through the air as a blur of red rose <i>through</i> the table. </p><p>“Very clever, Gamer. I’m happy you could make it, and you even brought a guest! I <i>love</i> having guests for tea. Darjeeling just isn’t the same without them.”</p><p>Arisa.</p><p>No, this was definitely <i>Malice</i>.</p><p>The first thing he noticed were her eyes. They were the same, still dark and calculating, but newly shadowed by thick black makeup, highlighting the now almost literal whiteness of her skin. Not all white, though, he could still see her veins. They’d darkened to a deep, pulsing scarlet.</p><p>Her black hair was also the same in terms of length and style, but he could see two tiny bows, one at each side of her head. It might have been almost cute on anyone else.</p><p>The dress was expected. Close to Alice’s, but a bright red instead of blue. The off-white apron <i>she</i> wore was stained black, brown, and a reddish pink in places. Max chose not to think of what the pink could be a remainder of.</p><p>The fingerless fishnet gloves and leather, knee high platform boots rounded out the look. He wasn’t sure how she managed to walk in them, but he had no doubt that she could. Those heels looked solid enough to crush skulls like eggshells.</p><p>All in all, he could see Arisa in Malice and Malice in Arisa. That was one of the worst things about akumatized villains in his experience, the way they looked and sounded so much like the people you cared about.</p><p>Scary as Arisa was, she still was one of his friends. </p><p>As Malice, she was still acting like they were friends.</p><p>And did she really call him...</p><p>“I-I’m not the Gamer!”</p><p>Ar-Malice frowned, glaring a little as she hopped down off the table, seeming not to notice as a plate of scones toppled down with her, breaking against the ground.</p><p>“I don’t have time for your little tricks, Gamer. The tea won’t stay piping hot for much longer, and I don’t feel like starting from scratch. Now hand over Ladybug so we can get started. Hop hop!”</p><p>She wasn’t kidding. She really thought he was his akumatized self. Between that and the narration’s insistence on his team name, and Max had to wonder if he had really been unaffected when the Akuma hit.</p><p>He looked at the back of his hand. His skin tone hadn’t changed. Still human.</p><p>“Gamer, this isn’t funny! I can’t win and become the new leader if I don’t present Hawk Moth with her miraculous!”</p><p>He wasn’t sure how to respond, but luckily he didn’t have to.</p><p>“You aren’t getting my miraculous, Malice! We’re here to save your guests, so back away slowly and don’t make any sudden movements!”</p><p>Max wondered if that line had ever worked against an actual villain or if it was something the good guys were just obligated to try before fighting.</p><p>“You!” Dark eyes <i>burned</i> as Malice took another step forward, porcelain cracking beneath her boots. “Working with the enemy, Gamer? Well, I’m not letting you ruin my party. I thought you were staying neutral, but if you really want to join the competition...”</p><p>Reaching behind her back, Malice pulled out something large and silver.</p><p>Alice used a big kitchen knife in the games, but it looked as though Malice favored a cleaver the size of his arm.</p><p>“Then <i>lEt’S PLaY!</i>”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Off With Her Head!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Malice vs Ladybug (and Max)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>[MALICE VS TEAM: GAMER!]</b>
</p><p>
  <b>[FIGHT!]</b>
</p><p>One might think a small girl carrying a cleaver over two feet in length wouldn’t be particularly fast with the weapon.</p><p>One would be <i>wrong.</i></p><p>
  <i>Ssshhhhh!</i>
</p><p>“Move!” Luckily for them both, Ladybug had plenty of experience with dodging. The first swipe of the cleaver just missed as she pulled him back.</p><p>
  <i>Shhhh!</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Ssshhhhhh!</i>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <i>Sshhh!</i>
</p><p>The cleaver kept swinging as Malice advanced, face blank but eyes wild. He could see the dark veins pumping away as the villain put more and more force into her swings.</p><p>“Come now, Gamer, don’t run away! It’s only polite to give a little something to your host when you get invited to tea! What should I take, an arm or a leg?”</p><p>
  <i>Ssshhhhh!</i>
</p><p>“I’m thinking a leg. We could make Yorkshire pudding!”</p><p>They jumped back again and again, but they were losing ground.</p><p>Max tried to tune the villain out, but it didn’t help that being akumatized seemed to have made Arisa chattier than usual.</p><p>Was - was she really <i>singing</i>?</p><p>“<i>We've got the tools, we've got the time, to punish a most worthy crime against humanity - Somewhere it's always time for tea!</i>”</p><p>Of course she was, as if she wasn’t terrifying enough.</p><p>“Max, we need to- woah!”</p><p>“Ladybug!” </p><p>Distracted by their attempts to keep away from the homicidal Alice, they didn’t notice where they were being led. </p><p>Straight into the table.</p><p>Plates rattled as the hero slammed into the solid iron, a tray of little cakes tipping over. Green liquid dribbled out as the cakes smashed, releasing an absolutely horrible smell through the air, like sour milk and hamburger meat left out in the sun for a week.</p><p>Max barely resisted the urge to retch.</p><p>
  <i>No wonder Antoine and Dexter always supply the snacks when we meet up during the weekend.</i>
</p><p>To each side, the bound civilians wiggled helplessly in their chairs, fencing them in as their hostess approached.</p><p>“Now, isn’t that better? No more running around, spoiling my game.”</p><p>Malice’s boots crunched against the dead grass as she walked forward, cleaver lowered at her side.</p><p>“You’ve been so rude, Gamer, coming here knowing I’m trying my best to show the others what I can do, but it doesn’t need to end here for you. Give me those dinky, little earrings and I’ll let you join my team. Rainbow Rhodes won’t know what hit her! Won’t that be <i>fun?</i>”</p><p>“I-“</p><p>
  <i>I hope Ladybug has a plan.</i>
</p><p>He looked over at the spotted superhero, who had recovered from the surprise hit to her back. She had her yoyo out, body tensing as she prepared to fight.</p><p>She needed to either trap Malice or take her weapon away, but all the villain needed was to land one hit, just one, and Paris would lose its best hope for survival.</p><p>Ladybug was strong and fast, but this was Malice’s world and she had the edge here. There were no buildings to scale or swing from, no tunnels to jump in or cars to hide behind.</p><p>There was just grass, the hostages, and the table set for tea.</p><p>
  <i>Oh.</i>
</p><p>He had something. He wasn’t sure what, but Max knew he could get there if he had a minute to think.</p><p>
  <i>Stall for time.</i>
</p><p>“You want me to join you?” Stepping back a little, Max felt his own back nudge against the cold iron of the table. “I don’t see how that would be of any benefit to either of us. I’m not the Gamer, and I don’t have any abilities you could use against the other three.”</p><p>One arm moved behind his back. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ladybug’s head turning a little; she might not know what he was trying to do, but she could tell he was trying something.</p><p>He really hoped she’d wait to attack just a little bit longer.</p><p>“Besides,” His fingers hit something solid and smooth. “We both know you team kill in multiplayer games, Ari. It’s why Rhodes only works with Antoine and Markov when we play CoD.”</p><p>One dark eye twitched. “Do <i>NOT</i> call m-“</p><p>The plate flew through the air like a frisbee, petite fours lifting off like tiny missiles.</p><p>Malice lifted her cleaver, ready to defend herself.</p><p>“Ladybug, now!”</p><p>
  <i>Fffwip!</i>
</p><p>The yoyo bypassed the blade entirely, wrapping around the villain’s arm. Ladybug sprang into action, rushing to the left, taking the other girl with her. The string pulled tight and Ladybug moved in for the kill, yanking the captured arm as hard as she could at the most awkward angle she could manage.</p><p>The cleaver dropped.</p><p>The punch landed.</p><p>For all that she was a cannibalistic supervillain working for Hawk Moth, Malice was still inhabiting the body of a friend.</p><p>One that went airborne under the force of a magic-enhanced fist to the face.</p><p>Max winced as Malice collapsed in a red and black heap several yards away from where she started.</p><p>The villain didn’t move.</p><p>
  <b>[DIRECT HIT! MALICE TAKES DAMAGE. HP ??/50]</b>
</p><p>Ladybug retracted her yoyo.</p><p>“Is- is she out?”</p><p>“I think-“</p><p>
  <i>Ssssshhhhh!</i>
</p><p>Ladybug <i>screamed</i> as the cleaver shot up from the ground, aimed straight for her head.</p><p>“No!”</p><p>
  <i>Ssssshhhhh!</i>
</p><p>“LADYBUG!”</p><p>
  <i>Thump</i>
</p><p>A handful of black hair hit the ground as Malice’s cleaver sliced through one of Ladybug’s signature pigtails, avoiding her neck by the smallest width imaginable.</p><p>“My...my hair...” Ladybug’s blue eyes were wide as she stared at the dark strands spread out over the ground.</p><p>
  <b>[HEAD CUTTER! LADYBUG TAKES 2 POINTS DAMAGE. HP 98/100]</b>
</p><p>
  <i>Ssssshhhhh!</i>
</p><p>The cleaver, having paused in the air about ten feet away, turned around slowly.</p><p>“That wasn’t <i>NIcE, Bug gIRl!</i>”</p><p>
  <i>Ssssshhhhh!</i>
</p><p>“Run!”</p><p>This time, he was the one dragging his teammate to safety, just in time for a streak of silver to blur through the air behind the hero’s head.</p><p>It landed safely in a pale, fishnet glove covered palm.</p><p>Malice was up, and she was <i>angry.</i></p><p>“<i>I MaY Have mIsSeD ONCe, BuT NOt AgaIN!</i>”</p><p>
  <i>Ssssshh!</i>
</p><p>The cleaver spun through the air at lightning fast speed, heading for the center of Ladybug’s chest.</p><p>The heroine tried to run, but her foot slipped on a piece of porcelain.</p><p>She wasn’t going to make it.</p><p>Unless-</p><p>
  <i>I really need this to work.</i>
</p><p>“Max!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The song is called “Time for Tea,” by Emilie Autumn. It’s very Malice.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chop Chop</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Team: Gamer vs Malice</p><p>Round 2!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For all that he’d been called a nerd, geek, dork, etc. over the years, Max wasn’t particularly up to date on his pop culture references.</p><p>He knew the common ones, of course, and he and Markov had shared hundreds of their favorite gaming memes with EXP, but he was much less into cartoons, anime, sci-fi and fantasy movies than most of his classmates seemed to think.</p><p>Still, there were some common tropes he did know.</p><p>Like the side character’s heroic self-sacrifice, allowing the protagonist the time they needed to save the day.</p><p>He’d never really expected to enact that one himself, but he’d figured that it was simple enough if he ever had to <i>in theory</i>.</p><p>In reality, it was somehow less fun than it looked.</p><p>Rushing forward, Max used all the strength he had to <i>push</i> Ladybug, allowing gravity and the fact that she was already slipping forward to do the hard work.</p><p>The dark haired heroine hit the ground.</p><p>
  <i>Sshhhh!</i>
</p><p>The cleaver hit the side of his chest, right under one outstretched arm.</p><p>“Max!”</p><p>
  <i>Holy-!</i>
</p><p>
  <b>[DIRECT HIT! TENDERIZED MEAT!]</b>
</p><p>Max could feel the cleaver connecting with his ribs.</p><p>It felt like getting hit by a cannonball at point blank range.</p><p>He ended up on the ground, too, eyes just focused enough to see a blue of red and black spots scrambling towards him.</p><p>
  <i>Oww!</i>
</p><p>“Max! Max, hold on!”</p><p>With one shaking hand, Max reached across his chest to poke at the wound. He probably shouldn’t, but he needed to know how long he had.</p><p>He moved his fingers over his side.</p><p>
  <i>What? Where is...?</i>
</p><p>“Max, I don’t see- I mean, there isn’t-“</p><p>“No...cut.”</p><p>
  <b>[APRON PREVENTS FULL SCALE DAMAGE FROM CUTTING ATTACKS. HIT REDUCED TO BLUNT IMPACT. MAX TAKES DAMAGE. HP 8/30]</b>
</p><p>“<i>WHaT?! ThAt’S cheAtINg!</i>”</p><p>Max Kanté officially loved his apron, frills and all.</p><p>He tried to sit up, hissing at the aching pain across his torso. He’d saved Ladybug, but the HP loss was real. He’d probably puke his guts out before being able to make it to his feet.</p><p>He’d bought the protagonist time, but she was on her own from here.</p><p>The problem was, no matter how he ran his calculations...</p><p>The odds weren’t in their favor.</p><p>Malice was strong, had close and long range capabilities, and was more willing to kill them than they were to hurt her, seeing as she was in the body of a...well, a <i>semi-</i>innocent civilian.</p><p>And now he couldn’t run, meaning that Ladybug’s area of movement had decreased to a roughly 10 foot radius around his body, since she wouldn’t leave him vulnerable to the villain’s growing rage.</p><p>He tried leaning a little to the right and bright lights started bursting behind his eyes.</p><p>
  <i>Nope. I am not trying that again.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Ssshhh...sshhhhhh...</i>
</p><p>Max was able to turn his head a little at the noise.</p><p>
  <i>Oh.</i>
</p><p>The cleaver was shaking, straining to tear itself out of the ground it had embedded itself in after the last hit.</p><p>It was slipping loose inch by inch.</p><p>There was a thud of boots behind them and the crunching of grass and porcelain. Malice wasn’t waiting for her next chance.</p><p>“<i>GAmEEeEeR!</i>”</p><p>“Ladybug! Grab the cleaver!”</p><p>“No!”</p><p>The cleaver shot out of the ground, heading back towards its mistress.</p><p>
  <i>Ssshhh!</i>
</p><p>Two blurs of red and black raced forward.</p><p>
  <i>Ssshhhhh-thump!</i>
</p><p>Ladybug grabbed the cleaver and <i>swung</i>.</p><p>The dull back of the blade connected with Malice’s skull with a sickening crack. The villain dropped like a sack of potatoes.</p><p>
  <b>[LADYBUG USES SKULL BASHER ON MALICE! ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE! +10 POINT DAMAGE. HP 5/50]</b>
</p><p>5/50.</p><p>5.</p><p>“Be careful, Ladybug! She’s still conscious!”</p><p>Malice raised her head from the grass and Ladybug nearly fell over again as she took a step back.</p><p>Max was revisiting the ‘puke his guts out’ option.</p><p>Malice’s face...Malice’s disturbing, white and throbbing red face was <i>cracked</i>, small chips dropping as she pressed against the ground, pushing herself up.</p><p>Jagged lines ran down the spot Ladybug had hit, crossing over her forehead and down to one cheek.</p><p>Something wet trailed down the villain’s neck, staining the front of her dress and messing up her apron even more. It wasn’t blood, it was more of a broth-like consistency.</p><p>
  <i>She’s breaking apart like a plate. Or a...teacup. She’s bleeding tea.</i>
</p><p>Malice hissed through her damaged lips, dark eyes wide and hateful as she struggled to stand.</p><p>It looked like more than her face had taken damage during their fight.</p><p>Now would be a great time for Ladybug to hit her again with the cleaver and take her HP down to zero.</p><p>He looked at Ladybug. She looked at him.</p><p>Malice hissed and spat. She was almost to her knees, leaning a little too much to the side. The tea was steaming a little, small strands of it rising off her shoulders.</p><p>“I...I can’t do it.” The hero whispered.</p><p>“Yes, I...yes.”</p><p>Max wasn’t sure how Malice looked so bad after one punch and one additional hit to the face, but he didn’t want to risk it either.</p><p>Miraculous Ladybug could fix a lot, but the idea of sending Arisa back down, cracking open like Humpty Dumpty until they’d managed to revert them back...</p><p>He wouldn’t have been able to do it either.</p><p>“What should we...do we just leave her here?”</p><p>“I...um, maybe?”</p><p>Malice’s arms twitched and they both winced.</p><p>This was a problem.</p><p>Malice hissed again, the red lines on her face seeming to grow and spread.</p><p>No.</p><p>They <i>were</i> growing and spreading over her body.</p><p>“Look out!”</p><p>With one last hissing growl that may have been a word, the Alice impersonator burst in a shower of</p><p>Pulsing </p><p>Red</p><p>Butterflies.</p><p>
  <i>This is-!</i>
</p><p>
  <b>[MALICE USED BUTTERFLY DODGE!]</b>
</p><p>Oh no.</p><p>“No! Ladybug, this is from the game! You need to stop her!”</p><p>In her defense, Ladybug seemed to have figured that out without his help, but there was only so much a person could do to contain a swarm of hundreds of small, flying insects.</p><p>Spinning into the air, the butterflies rose up, higher and higher, disappearing into the coral colored sky.</p><p>
  <b>[MALICE ESCAPED! TEAM: GAMER WINS!]</b>
</p><p>Malice was gone.</p><p>For all that they’d won the fight, they hadn’t managed to take down even one of the four akumatized villains.</p><p>It didn’t feel that much like a win.</p><p>A muffled moan came from the table behind them.</p><p>The hostages!</p><p>With an apologetic look for leaving him, Ladybug ran for the chairs, starting to untie the first of the citizens.</p><p>One by one, they were freed.</p><p>He didn’t recognize anyone there from what he could see, but he could hear the relief in their voices as the sacks were removed from their heads.</p><p>
  <b>[OBJECTIVE COMPLETED: SAVE 5/5 GUESTS FROM MALICE’S TEA PARTY.]</b>
</p><p>
  <b>[THAT VILLAIN MIGHT LIKE HAVING GUESTS FOR TEA, BUT NO ONE WAS LINING UP TO BE THE TEA! GOOD WORK, HEROES!]</b>
</p><p>Heroes.</p><p>He kind of liked the sound of that.</p><p>One of the guests noticed Max.</p><p>“Oh! Are you okay?!”</p><p>It was a woman. Maybe mid twenties to early thirties, with pink hair and blue eyes.</p><p>She looked familiar somehow.</p><p>“I’ve...felt better.”</p><p>The woman dropped down, concern clear as she looked him over.</p><p>“My name is Joie. I’m not a doctor, but I am a medical student and it looks like that Alice akuma really did a number on you. I can help if you’ll let me. Where does it hurt?”</p><p>Seriously, he definitely knew her from somewhere.</p><p>“My...” It did hurt to talk, so he was willing to trust her. “Chest.”</p><p>“Alright, just relax and everything will feel better in a moment.”</p><p>Everything went black. He couldn’t see, and his chest felt numb,</p><p>
  <b>[MED STUDENT JOIE USED HEAL.]</b>
</p><p>
  <i>Wait, is she supposed to be-?!</i>
</p><p>Oh, he had a feeling he knew which villain they would be meeting next.</p><p>When Max’s sight returned, he noticed the difference immediately.</p><p>“It doesn’t hurt.”</p><p>
  <b>[MAX MADE A FULL RECOVERY! HP 30/30]</b>
</p><p>Max stared at the <s>nurse</s> medical student, who didn’t seem to notice.</p><p>“Are you-?”</p><p>“You seem to be doing much better! I’m glad!”</p><p>“From Poké-“</p><p>“Thank you for your help!”</p><p>As soon as she’d arrived, she was gone.</p><p>And so were the others.</p><p>“Today is so weird.” Ladybug sounded as lost as he felt.</p><p>“It really is. Is that- you still have the cleaver!”</p><p>
  <b>[MALICE WAS LATE FOR A VERY IMPORTANT DATE, AND LEFT SOMETHING BEHIND IN HER RUSH. YOU REALLY MADE AN ENEMY FOR LIFE, BUT YOU *DID* SAVE THE PEOPLE OF PARIS, SO TAKE A PARTING GIFT! REWARD: WONDERLAND CLEAVER.]</b>
</p><p>Ladybug shifted uncomfortably. “I...actually don’t want it.”</p><p>He didn’t want it either, but he knew what he had to do.</p><p>“I’ll take it.”</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“I...I am, yes. Thank you.”</p><p>He took the weapon, carefully holding it away from his abdomen.</p><p>He didn’t want the cleaver, didn’t want anything to do with the sadistic cannibal who nearly beheaded Ladybug and cut him open like a frog in a science lab, but the next boss battle would probably be worse than their first, and he couldn’t afford to be taken out so easily next time.</p><p>He needed to level up.</p><p>
  <b>[ITEM: WONDERLAND CLEAVER ENABLES THE USER TO USE CUTTING, CHOPPING, AND SLICING ATTACKS, WITH DAMAGE DEPENDENT ON THE STRENGTH OF THE USER. FURTHER ABILITIES MAY APPEAR LATER ON.]</b>
</p><p>
  <b>[WOULD YOU LIKE TO STORE WONDERLAND CLEAVER? HANDHELD ITEMS ARE ABLE TO BE STORED WITHOUT BEING REMOVED AND DISCARDED. TEAM: GAMER CAN STORE UP TO 2 ITEMS PER PERSON AT THIS TIME. STORE WONDERLAND CLEAVER?]</b>
</p><p>“Okay?”</p><p>The cleaver vanished with an audible POP.</p><p>
  <b>[ITEM: WONDERLAND CLEAVER HAD BEEN STORED. CHECK YOUR POCKETS TO RECLAIM.]</b>
</p><p>Max could feel an added weight in his left pocket.</p><p>That was useful.</p><p>
  <i>Riiing! Riiiiiing!</i>
</p><p>Was that his phone?</p><p>
  <b>[LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE IS TRYING TO REACH YOU! BETTER PICK UP!]</b>
</p><p>He pulled out his phone from his cleaver-free pocket.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>
  <i>”Max, you won’t believe what just happened! The zoo is being attacked by purple rats!”</i>
</p><p>Purple rats.</p><p>
  <i>Dexter.</i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have no clue where I’m going with this, but I kind of want to see what happens...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Too Much Work For A Normal Type</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Max and Ladybug need to get to the zoo, but it looks like they have to do some legwork before their next boss battle.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This was not good.</p><p>As tired as Max and the others were with Dexter’s Pokémon obsession, they’d all had their phase with the game and knew it well.</p><p>If Dexter was a Pokémon villain, and he was somehow producing actual Pokémon with their canonical abilities...</p><p>
  <i>”Max, are you still there?! Hello?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Oops.</i>
</p><p>“I’m here, Alya! You were talking about the zoo, right?”</p><p>Shaking off his inner turmoil for the moment, Max turned his attention back to the call. Behind him, he could sense Ladybug leaning in, trying to hear the reporter better.</p><p>With an apologetic glance over his shoulder, he set the cell to speakerphone.</p><p>
  <i>”Yeah, the video I’m getting is insane! I’d try to get in, but all the entrances are covered, so I’m relying on footage from Rose and Juleka. They were there when the akuma-rats hit and can’t get out. You need to tell Ladybug!”</i>
</p><p>Ladybug grabbed the phone. “You’re on speaker, Alya. You said the gates are locked?”</p><p>Something almost like a snort (or was it a choke?) came through the line.</p><p>
  <i>”Not locked - treed! All the gates have these weird, fake trees directly in front of them and they’re impossible to get around! Even the firemen can’t get through, and they were really trying. The last one had his axe shatter when he used it, so you are going to need a different way in.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Of course it’s trees. And I doubt we’re going to run into anyone offering to give us HM01...</i>
</p><p>“Thanks for letting me know, Alya. Tell Rose and Juleka to take cover. Help is on the way!”</p><p>
  <i>”Good luck!”</i>
</p><p>The call ended and Max looked over at Ladybug.</p><p>“Any chance Pokémon is one of the games your familiar with?”</p><p>“Max, <i>everybody</i> knows Pokémon.”</p><p>Fair enough.</p><p>“We need to use Cut to get past the trees, right?”</p><p>“Possibly,” it sounded correct if they were going strictly by gameplay, but... “I’m actually not sure. I mean, you had to <i>learn</i> Cut in the games before you could use it, even with Pokémon who should have natural abilities that would allow them to destroy the trees.”</p><p>“So maybe that’s why the firemen couldn’t cut it with the axes?”</p><p>“Precisely what I was thinking. Real world logic doesn’t apply to the game, so just cutting the tree with an axe or even the cleaver might not be enough.”</p><p>Ladybug frowned, blue eyes narrowed in thought. The wispy remains of her damaged pigtail fluttered a little as she shifted.</p><p>(He wondered if <i>Med Student Joie</i> could have helped with that, or if Ladybug would be stuck with half her normal hairdo until the shorter side evened out with the rest.)</p><p>“Then, by that logic...we need someone with an ability to destroy the trees that isn’t considered a <i>natural</i> ability. It needs to be something special or some sort of addition.”</p><p>Someone with a special ability focused on destruction.</p><p>Max could tell they’d reached the same conclusion at the same time.</p><p>Chat Noir.</p><p>If game logic applied, then no one had a better move in their arsenal for the complete removal of physical barriers than Ladybug’s feline partner.</p><p>“We need to find Chat.”</p><p>
  <b>[NEW OBJECTIVE: FIND CHAT NOIR.]</b>
</p><p>
  <b>[A BLACK CAT CROSSING YOUR PATH IS BAD LUCK...FOR VILLAINS THAT IS! TRACK DOWN THE CITY’S FAVORITE STRAY AND ADD HIM TO YOUR PARTY BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE! YOUR FRIENDS ARE COUNTING ON YOU!]</b>
</p><p>The narration never stopped being both weird and oddly exciting.</p><p>And stressful.</p><p>“Well, I guess we’re looking for Chat.”</p><p>“Yes, and we need to hurry.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“I don’t suppose he answered that message you sent earlier?”</p><p>The heroine winced.</p><p>“Um, no? The message...doesn’t always get through, especially if we aren’t both in costume at the same time, or if one of us is too busy to check for updates.”</p><p>“Then do you know where he would be? A home address or maybe a phone number?...Any email? Friends of his who would know how to get to him?”</p><p>The wince repeated, this time with an added flush and something that looked like shame. Max felt his heart sink.</p><p>He’d heard before that Chat Noir and Ladybug - mostly Ladybug - did their best to maintain their secret identities, but he’d never thought-</p><p>And never imagined-</p><p>That the duo would be distant enough outside patrols and villain fights that they only had ONE way to get in touch with each other during an emergency.</p><p>
  <i>I’m not mad, but I am a little disappointed.</i>
</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p>They had a hero to find and no time to spare.</p><p>“I may have an idea.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the delay! I’ve been kind of swamped with work and other things lately, but Max and Team: Gamer will be meeting the next boss pretty soon!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is pretty different from anything I’ve worked on before, so please let me know what you think and if there’s anything I can improve on.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>